Haven of Family
by mhgood
Summary: Anna moves to La Push and discovers a fantasy world of wolves and vampires, straight from the legends she loves so much. Her brother, Brady, joins this mythical world by transformation; Anna enters another way. An imprinting story. Set during Eclipse.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: All recognizable characters and plot devices are the sole property of the illustrious Stephenie Meyer, whom I can only imitate. This fan fiction is for entertainment purposes only. No copyright infringement intended.**

* * *

What I'm reading: _Impossible_, by m. diddy, is a delightful Seth Clearwater imprint story that is well-written and excellently plotted. Every chapter is enjoyable to read--you will fall in love with Seth all over again while you read the story of his imprint, Liz. Check it and don't forget to leave some review love!

_**

* * *

**_

_**Haven of Family**_

I never thought I'd find another family to replace the one I'd lost so many years ago. That's why I was surprised that I joined the ranks of two families, each so different from each other, and yet both so loving and accepting of me. My families, my safe haven, my rescue.

____

Chapter One

____

I glanced up from unpacking a box of books as a knock sounded on my bedroom doorjamb.

"Hey, Anna, are you done in here? It's time for dinner." My kid brother poked his head into my room and grinned.

"Sure, I'll be right there."

I placed the last of my well-worn book collection onto the shelf built into the light green-painted wall beside my bedroom door. Turning around slowly, I surveyed my new room, now completely unpacked and decorated. It wasn't huge, but it was perfect for me--a single bed covered with my favorite cream comforter stood against the wall to the right. On the opposite wall, a desk held my writing materials: mounds of loose-leaf paper, several notebooks, and a chipped mug holding pens and mechanical pencils. Next to the desk was a small closet stuffed full of clothes, most sadly inappropriate for the chilly, wet weather of the Olympic Peninsula. Directly adjacent to the doorway, where I now stood, a large window overlooked a small backyard that ended abruptly at the forest. Frilly white curtains ruffled in the cool breeze.

I grabbed the empty box and headed down the hall, down the stairs, to the kitchen. Leaving the box atop the stack of other empty moving boxes just outside the kitchen door, I took stock of my mother, bent over the stove.

She wasn't my birth mom, but she was every bit as real and loving to me as I imagined the woman who had brought me into this world had been. Linda Darkwood was of average height and weight, but had a heart of gold. She possessed beautiful copper skin and high cheekbones that pointed to expressive eyes framed by dark lashes. Her black hair fell to her shoulders in a stylish cut.

My mother sensed my admiring gaze and tipped her face towards me, her brown eyes twinkling.

"All unpacked, dear?"

"Yep, I'm finished. I put my empty suitcases in the garage earlier and the empty boxes are outside." I took the proffered plate and walked through the open archway to the dining room where the rest of my family waited.

"Hey, sis, after dinner do you wanna go walk on the beach? It's really close!" My brother gave me his patented 'puppy dog eyes' look.

"Sure, Brady, that would be fun, if it's okay with Mom and Dad." Dad nodded as he reached for the peas that sat on the table. My mom set the pot of spaghetti on the pot holder in the middle of the table and said, "Yes, that would be a good idea, to get you kids exploring your new home. Lila, you should go with your brother and sister."

Lila sniffed as she set aside her magazine in favor of taking a sip from her water glass. "I think I'd rather poke out my eyeballs with my fork. Moving to this crazy place was not my idea, you know." Lila was upset that Dad had gotten a management position at the Oceanside Resort on the reservation at La Push. Dad was excited about it, since he'd grown up here. He'd told us on the drive from Southern California that he felt as if he were coming home like a prodigal son. He didn't have any more living relatives on the reservation, but he had loved his childhood here, and he did still have friends who had stayed.

Mom had gotten a job at the Quileute Tribal School, teaching kindergarten. She had grown up here, too, and only left when she went away to college, where she started dating and later married Dad. It was funny--they'd grown up together on the tiny reservation, gone to school together from preschool on up to high school, but had never really shown interest in one another romantically till they were thrown together as the minority Native Americans in a large state college in California. I found the whole thing incredibly sweet and romantic and wished something like that would happen to me: to find my one true love amidst a sea of faceless people.

I forced myself out of my reverie and tried to pay attention to the brewing argument.

"Now honey," Mom started.

"No, just leave it, Linda. She'll come around." Dad stared over at Lila. "Please try to keep your negativity to a minimum, okay, young lady?"

Lila raised a carefully plucked eyebrow. "Whatever, Dad. I only have a few more weeks and then I'm outta here."

I exchanged a look with Brady--Lila's attitude was nothing new--and focused on finishing my dinner.

I didn't get why Lila was in such a rush to graduate from high school and move out. I thought our family was amazing and perfect, aside from Lila's attitude, of course. Yet she acted like she was pained every time she had to appear in public with the any of us. Even in private, at home, she was barely tolerable. I could only hope that she'd mellow out a little before leaving. We were supposed to start classes together as seniors tomorrow at the tiny Tribal School, and I didn't want any problems. It was bad enough that I was clearly the outsider, with my light skin, long auburn hair, and almost-green eyes. Amidst all the native kids, I knew I was going to stand out as the obvious freak. I was pretty nervous about the social aspect of it, actually, though I knew I could always rely on the schoolwork to help keep a buffer of protection around me.

In addition to me being the freak pale-face at our new school, we were all coming in mid-semester. It was May, and there were only a few weeks before school let out for the summer. I couldn't believe graduation was so close. I was surprised all my credits had transferred and I would still be able to graduate this year, for that matter.

I loved school, even in SoCal, where I'd been in the unpopular "geek" crowd. Lila had been the popular one, with her exotic Native American good looks--her dark eyes and ultra-tan skin, with long glossy black hair topping off a slim body. I didn't consider myself to be ugly. My complexion was clear, my height average, my body fashionably thin. But since I was adopted, somehow, making friends was rather awkward for me. I wouldn't label myself as shy, per se, but I didn't seek out the crowds, either. Instead, I threw myself into my schoolwork, easily getting good grades, even if I was lonely.

I was actually excited about school here on the reservation, since Brady was going to be with me. He was only in eighth grade, but this school held all the grades in the same building and he had the same lunch hour as me. Finally, someone to eat lunch with! He'd been in a regular middle school before we moved.

Brady was thirteen, four years younger than my seventeen, but we were fast friends. Ever since I'd joined the Darkwood family five years ago after eons of bouncing around the foster care system, Brady had been like an actual little brother to me: adoring, teasing, annoying occasionally, but always ready to talk. Our age difference didn't seem that wide when he tried to be serious, which, admittedly, wasn't often.

If Brady was the jokester kid brother, then Lila was the snobby older sister. She was only older than me by a few months, but she held that fact over me like a prize to be envied and coveted. She hadn't been happy when her parents had decided to adopt me, and still hadn't warmed to me in the intervening years.

I brushed aside my unpleasant thoughts and finished my dinner, listening to my parents chat quietly about school schedules, agendas for the upcoming days, and grocery shopping lists.

I dumped my dishes in the kitchen sink and called out, "Come on, Brady, let's go before it gets too dark."

"All right!" Brady excitedly grabbed both our jackets and bounded out the back door.

I followed him as he led the way to First Beach. Our house was very close to the beach and we only had to find the trail. A light drizzle was falling, more mist than rain. Behind us, in the forest, a wolf howled.

"Did you hear that?" I shivered. "I hope we don't see any scary animals out here!"

Brady laughed his husky laugh, his voice already deepening. He was growing up, I thought ruefully. My kid brother wasn't such a kid anymore. He was already taller than Dad, and his shoulders had broadened out this summer. Cords of muscles lined his lanky arms. He didn't look like a teenager at all anymore--he was starting to look more like a twenty year old. I supposed it was genetics or something, maybe some sort of Quileute thing. Though, when I thought about it that way, Dad wasn't that tall, and he definitely wasn't that muscular. Maybe the bodybuilder look skips generations?

"Don't worry, Anna, I'll protect you from the scary animals!" He tugged on my long braid and dashed ahead on the trail. "Race ya!"

I huffed but obligingly set out at a faster pace. The sun had set but I was still able to see where my feet landed. I picked my way over the hill and gasped as I drank in the sight of the beach in the twilight.

There were no words to describe the beauty. The ocean was dark, the grey waves undulating before breaking against the sandy shore. Smooth stones dotted the wet sand and I saw tide pools among the rocks that jutted out. There were several large pieces of driftwood lying scattered about, so sun-bleached and weathered that they seemed to be gleaming in the dusk. This looked like a great place to relax and read a book--when it wasn't raining, that is.

Brady was already halfway down the beach, tossing rocks at the waves. I sat down on the nearest log, settling in the groove that seemed made for me. An island stood in relief against the darkening sky in front of me, its cliffs beckoning mysteriously.

I'd been around the block a few times, had travelled a bit in my journey through the foster care system, but never had I ever been overtaken by such magnificence of beauty in a place before. It was awesome, in every sense of the word.

I wished my birth parents were alive to share it with me. They'd died when I was just a toddler. Car accident. I had no other relatives, no one to tell me what they'd been like, what their passions were, what they lived for. So I made up stories and imagined that they'd been like me: inquisitive, confident, and excited about life. I pretended I got my love of reading from my mother and my analytical mind from my father. I had pictures, of course, and I knew I looked like my birth mother, and had my father's eyes. But I wish I could remember those eyes smiling at me, or my mother embracing me.

I could recall nothing but my childhood memories of foster care. I didn't have horror stories of awful homes, cruel guardians. No, I'd lucked out and landed good homes with caring foster parents. After I'd lived with Joshua and Linda Darkwood for two months, they'd made the decision to adopt me and make me officially a part of their family. The way they treated me, it was almost as if they sometimes forgot that I wasn't actually a blood child of theirs. They included me so completely in the family. It made me feel warm and loved and safe.

In the midst of my musings, Brady had come back and plopped his huge body down next to my small one. He leaned his head back and looked up at the stars that were starting to twinkle.

"I like it here so far; what about you, Anna?"

I smiled. So far La Push was pretty nice. But there was still the ordeal of school tomorrow.

"First Beach is lovely," I said casually. "Let's see how lovely I still think it is after school tomorrow, huh?"

"Not looking forward to school? I thought you loved school!" Brady made a face at me.

I replied, "No, I do love school. Well, the learning part of school, anyway. It's the social part of it, the people, I'm worried about."

"Hey, I should be the one worried if anyone will like me! I'm the kid here! You've been in high school for four years now, so you should be the pro telling _me_ it will be okay. I've never hobnobbed in the halls with you superior high schoolers before." Grinning at me, he nudged my shoulder with his playfully.

"Hey, don't knock me off the log!" I pretended to be outraged.

Brady grabbed his heart and cried out, "So sorry, sis! I forget my own strength sometimes!"

I snorted. If anything, I'd have my crazy brother there with me tomorrow as we both embarked our new school adventure.

"Come on, let's go home, Brady. Little kids like you shouldn't be out so late."

"Hah! Who you calling 'little,' shorty?"

We stood and went back home as the moon battled the stars for domination over the growling silver waves.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: All recognizable characters and plot devices are the sole property of the illustrious Stephenie Meyer, whom I can only imitate. This fan fiction is for entertainment purposes only. No copyright infringement intended.**

* * *

What I'm reading: _An Untitled Continuation of the Twilight Saga,_ by gothicfictionfan, has captured my imagination. If you ever wondered what happened to Edward, Bella, and the Cullen family after Breaking Dawn, look no further: THIS is the story! Worthy of being published as the actual fifth book in the Twilight series, this story will delight and shock you with numerous plot twists and unique takes on character development. Check it out, and don't forget to leave some review love--tell her I sent you!

* * *

____

Chapter Two

**A/N:** QTS holds its high school classes all in one room at the A-Ka-Lat Center in La Push, with all four grades sitting together under Dr. Bruce Cochran (see my profile for a link). However, for the purposes of this story, I have split up the grades and classes as is usual in traditional schools, while keeping the same student count.

____

The Quileute Tribal School was only a couple miles from our house, and, since the day started out overcast but dry, we walked, stowing our umbrellas and rain jackets in our bags. As we drew closer to the cedar-sided main building, my eyes were drawn to the large totem pole looming in the front lawn.

"Look at that, guys!" I excitedly pointed out the object of my awe.

Brady and Lila both rolled their eyes at me. They knew I was obsessed with all things Quileute. Lila thought it was odd, since I didn't have a drop of native blood. But Brady understood that I embraced my adoptive family's heritage and wanted to learn as much as I could. Besides, it was just plain cool. At least, that was what I thought, often, even at the risk of sounding juvenile.

I paused to admire the totem pole, but left off my inspection to catch up with my siblings as they passed through the red front doors of the school. We separated after checking in at the receptionist's desk. Brady gave a little wave at me and called, "See you at lunch!" Then he trotted off to his first class.

Lila and I had almost the exact same schedule, no surprise there. QTS was a small school, with only about a hundred students all together. The senior class schedule here didn't have much variation like it did in our last school. The only difference between our schedules here was that I was on the school newspaper staff. Dad had helped set that up for me before we even came, since he knew how much I liked to write and edit. The paper was called the Killer Whale. I liked that name and looked forward to meeting the teacher and one other student that comprised the newspaper team. That was fifth period for me. Lila had art during that time. Since I couldn't even draw stick figures to save my life, I was happy to never challenge her status as artist of our family.

The morning blurred by in a frenzy of class introductions, homework assignments, and whispers. Apparently, I was a rare outsider here. I didn't have the classic high cheekbones and black hair that the native girls had--my classmates could tell I wasn't Native American at all. I kept my eyes down and didn't look at my classmates, but I overheard a few loud whispers in History class.

_"Who is she?"_

_"Who does she think she is?"_

_"We can't even have our own school without being invaded by the whites! Seriously!"_

_"Oh, she's just adopted. She's nothing."_

That last one came from a familiar voice. I glanced over at the small knot of gorgeous girls who were shooting me displeased glances. Lila sat in the middle of the group and tried to draw attention away from me. I knew she wasn't doing it because she cared about me, her sister. No, she just didn't want me getting all the attention on our first day of school. She wanted some for herself.

The bell rang and I darted from the room, leaving Lila behind to boast to her new friends about all the hot guys she'd dated in our last school.

The cafeteria was small, with dingy grey walls, but the food looked decent enough. I grabbed a tray, some food, and found an empty table. I looked around for Brady.

"Hey, sis! How's your day going?" A loud voice behind me caused me to jump a little. "Oh, sorry."

Brady plunked down his overflowing tray and gestured to the tall boy standing beside him.

"This is Collin. Collin, my sister, Anna."

I smiled. My kid brother, always the friendly one, had already found a friend. "Have a seat, Collin."

As he sat down I looked him over. He was huge! His dark eyes peered back at me and I turned a bit red, embarrassed to be caught staring.

A loud trio of giggles interrupted my inspection of my brother's new friend. My eyes scanned the cafeteria and found my sister surrounded by her new-found friends from History class. Apparently she had found her clique. The pretty girls. They all sat at the 'popular' table. Several guys who looked to be seniors fawned over the girls while they tittered and generally made the rest of the sane world gag.

Brady and I exchanged a look and shared an eye roll.

"Lila," we both sighed.

"Who's Lila?" Collin asked.

Brady explained, "She's my older sister, the same age as Anna here. She's kinda stuck up, though. Steer clear, if you know what I mean."

Collin laughed. "Sure, I've got a sister like that too. She's actually over there with your sister now. They can have each other, as far as I'm concerned. Girls. They're more trouble than they're worth. No offense, Anna."

"None taken." I laughed along with Collin.

I scanned the rest of the cafeteria. "Anyone else here we should avoid, Collin?"

"Well, most people are pretty welcoming to new students, even though we don't really get a whole lot of new people often. I'm sure you'll make friends fast, though."

Collin turned to Brady and started talking about a new computer game they both enjoyed and I let my mind wander. Me, make friends quickly? I doubted it. But I was determined to at least give it a shot. After all, what better way to learn about Quileute culture then to get to know Quileute young people? Yeah. I'd use that angle on myself to help overcome my nervousness. Uh-huh.

Just then, a group of six humongous men entered the room. They were all tall, almost seven feet, and were all extremely handsome. Each had copper skin and hair of liquid onyx. Some of them had short hair, but a couple had longer, shaggy locks. I caught myself staring as the group passed through the lunch line, piling their trays high.

"Who are _they_?" I tried to keep the awe from my voice as I asked Collin.

Collin looked over my shoulder. "Oh, that's the 'Protector' gang."

"You have a gang here in La Push?" I asked incredulously.

"Well, I don't think it's really a gang, like with violence and all, but that group is sorta the elite crowd, you know? All of them are full-blooded Quileute. Well, all but one. No one knows who Embry Call's dad is, and his mom's Makah. Most people think they all let Embry hang out with them out of pity or something, but he doesn't seem to mind. Honestly, though, I'd avoid them if I were you."

"Why?" Brady curiously asked.

"They're all kinda strange. They act like they're something special, like they can do no wrong. They're always skipping class or cutting school altogether, and yet they never seem to get in trouble for it! It's like the school and even the tribal council gives them all a free pass for anything! Plus, they just keep sucking more members into their gang. Last semester you'd never see Jacob Black or his friends Quil and Embry hanging out with a bunch of 'Protectors,' but now, they're inseparable from that bunch. In fact, Quil only just started hanging out with them all a few months ago, after he swore he'd never be caught dead joining the gang."

I wrinkled my forehead. "Huh. That _is_ weird."

Collin continued. "Yeah, and they have this girl that they sucked into the gang, too! Well, two girls, actually, though Leah Clearwater hasn't been back to school since her dad died in March. The girl that's over there sitting with them now is a girlfriend to one of the guys. Jared, I think."

I peeked at the group again, and, sure enough, there was a small, shy-looking girl almost hiding under the massive arm of one of the men. I mentally corrected myself. One of the _boys_. If they were in high school, they couldn't be much older than I was.

"How come they all look so old?" Brady asked the question that was buzzing in my mind.

"I dunno. Most of them had a growth spurt last year. Before that they all looked like any other teenage boys. I guess they're probably all taking steroids or something, supplied by their leader, Sam. Sam graduated a few years ago."

Brady snickered while I mused. I doubted it was steroids. Their muscles and angular facial features were too beautiful to be caused artificially.

I shook myself. What was I doing? Admiring strange boys' muscles from across the cafeteria--that was not me. That was my sister. I was the bookworm who didn't notice boys. _Get a grip, Anna_, I told myself.

Collin continued, apparently enjoying his role as gossip provider to the new kids. "There's even a freshman who's in the gang. Seth Clearwater. I introduced him to you in woodworking class, Brady, remember? He joined the group a couple months ago, right after his dad died. Seriously, that group keeps getting bigger and bigger, sucking more kids in. You'd better watch out, you might be next!"

Collin laughed a little at Brady's disdainful expression.

"Huh. I don't think I'll be joining any gang anytime soon. 'Sides, I don't think Anna would let me."

I smiled sweetly at my brother. "That's right, and you know, even though you're bigger than me, I know all your secrets, so you'd better behave!"

"Ooooh, I'm so scared!" Brady laughed.

We finished our lunch as the topic of conversation moved on to forms of entertainment La Push kids enjoyed when it wasn't raining.

The rest of the day sped by in a blur. Newspaper was just as wonderful as I'd imagined it to be, and all my classes seemed easy, aside from math, which I was convinced held absolutely no use whatsoever for my future.

I noticed that the stares didn't diminish over the course of the day. No one introduced themselves to me, aside from Collin, and the buzz of whispering when I was near only seemed to get louder as the day wore on. By the end of school, the stares were grating on my nerves, and the added pointing was starting to tick me off. I tried to ignore it, keeping my eyes averted, but I still felt like I was under a microscope for all the school to see. I did notice that none of the La Push 'gang" paid me any mind, most of them content to keep to themselves. None of them were in my classes, as they all seemed to be juniors, aside from Seth the freshman. In the halls, I joined the crowds that swept aside to let the gang members pass unheeded.

It was only after the final bell rang and students flooded the front lawn that I encountered the final dark cloud that would rain on my day.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: All recognizable characters and plot devices are the sole property of the illustrious Stephenie Meyer, whom I can only imitate. This fan fiction is for entertainment purposes only. No copyright infringement intended.**

* * *

What I'm reading: _The Puppet Master_, by Glitch in the System, follows Cammy, a typical Twilight fan-girl, as she is pulled into a world she believed was only fiction. Now the fate of her favorite characters, Edward, Bella, and the Cullens, rests in her hands. Can she ensure that events go according to plan, following the books? Or will it all come crashing down and will everything be lost? This story is one of my absolute favorites; it cleverly twists an imprint story with a fan-girl story, thereby producing an excellent tale. Check it out and don't forget to leave review love!

* * *

Last time . . .

_I noticed that the stares didn't diminish over the course of the day. No one introduced themselves to me, aside from Collin, and the buzz of whispering when I was near only seemed to get louder as the day wore on. By the end of school, the stares were grating on my nerves, and the added pointing was starting to tick me off. I tried to ignore it, keeping my eyes averted, but I still felt like I was under a microscope for all the school to see. I did notice that none of the La Push 'gang" paid me any mind, most of them content to keep to themselves. None of them were in my classes, as they all seemed to be juniors, aside from Seth the freshman. In the halls, I joined the crowds that swept aside to let the gang members pass unheeded. _

_It was only after the final bell rang and students flooded the front lawn that I encountered the final dark cloud that would rain on my day. _

____

Chapter Three

____

A tall russet-skinned beauty stalked up to me as I stood on the curb waiting for Brady and Lila.

"I just want to introduce myself," she sneered with a falsely polite tone. "I'm Angelica and I don't like you."

I stared in shock. "Really? You don't even know me!"

"I know that you aren't one of us. That's all I need to know. You'd better watch your back. If I find you trying to seduce any of our nice, pure, native boys, you'll regret the day you were born." With that she flounced away, leaving me starting slack-mouthed at her receding back.

"What was that about?" Brady murmured, coming up beside me.

I snapped my mouth closed. "Nothing, just stupid cat-fight stuff. I can handle it." I smiled reassuringly at my brother and then looked around for Lila.

"Oh, Lila's getting a ride home from one of her new friends. Angelica is her name I think." Brady supplied.

Oh. Great. Well, now I know there's no hope of ever changing Angelica's mind about me, not if she has Lila to feed her more venom. Oh, well. Besides, none of her "nice, pure, native boys" would look twice at me, so she has nothing to worry about on that score.

I shrugged off the burden of the day and marched forward.

"Come on, Brady, let's go home. Tell me about your first day as a student at the illustrious Tribal School. Any cute girls I should be beating away from you?"

____

The next few days of school passed similarly to the first. The pointing and the whispering died down and were replaced with stony silence toward me. I didn't mind being ignored. It was better than being targeted. I'd always felt like an outsider at school anyway, so this wasn't anything new or strange for me. I ate lunch with Brady and Collin, and sat in the back of all my classes, taking careful notes, as usual. I threw myself into editing the school newspaper, which really didn't take that much work—we only had one more issue and then school would let out for summer. At home I spent time with my mom getting dinner ready before finishing the day with homework.

Brady spent his afternoons with Collin, usually at his house, which was just a few minutes' walk from ours. I'd taken to leaving the house after dinner so I could escape Lila's trilling voice talking to Angelica on the phone. Lila was careful not to say anything to vitriolic when our parents were around, but she didn't hesitate to shoot me glares anytime I passed into her line of sight while I puttered around the living areas of the house.

I started going to the beach after dinner, doing my homework on the driftwood log, under an umbrella, since it was usually raining. Today is was wet and chilly, so I huddled in my thick sweatshirt, concentrating on math. The wind was starting to pick up as the waves crashed against the shoreline in front of me. I was far enough away from the water's edge that I was certain of not getting soaked by the sea-spray, but I started to pack up my things anyway, since it was getting late and it was almost too dark for me to see the words on the page of my textbook.

As I trudged over the hill, heading back home, I looked up to see Brady loping towards me, his long legs bringing him closer in three steps than I'd cover in a dozen. He turned to walk with me back home.

"Hey, sis. Wanna go hiking with me and Collin on Saturday?"

"Sure, I'd like that." I'd always enjoyed hiking, even though I was not particularly good at keeping my direction. That's why I always carried a compass when I went.

"Awesome! I thought we'd go out for a few hours and take in nature. Collin says he knows some nice trails he can show us."

"Great, can't wait!" I was really glad Brady had found such a good friend. Collin was good for him. I could only hope that their friendship would be long-lasting. On a small reservation like La Push, there were few other choices of best friends for a 13 year old boy.

I asked as we entered the house, "You can Collin are getting really close, huh?"

"Yeah, he's cool. I've never had a friend like him. He's just—I dunno, we just click."

"Well, I'm glad that you have such a good friend." I stopped in the doorway of my bedroom and moved aside to let him pass to get to his room down the hall.

Brady shot me a mischievous look. "Yeah, now all we have to do is find you a boyfriend!"

"Hah!" I scoffed. "Like that'll happen here!"

He shook his head, still grinning. "Whatever, sis. Good night." He disappeared into his messy room.

"Yeah, 'night."

____

The next day at school, everything was the same as it had been all week—most people simply ignored me, but the 'popular girls' still pointed fingers and tittered whenever I walked by. I knew that Lila was probably the catalyst for their resentment. It stung that my sister would spread her dislike of me. Sure, these girls weren't exactly the sort of people I'd spend time with, even if they weren't disdainful of the fact that I wasn't Native American. But I'd hope my own sister would try to keep up the appearance of sisterly affection, at least in public. I supposed that she was more resentful of our move to La Push that I'd originally thought. She was only taking out her hurt and anger on me, the easy target.

At lunch I took my usual place across from Brady and Collin. I kept my back to the lunch room, ignoring the 'gang,' with their boisterous laughs and noisy eating. I blocked out the high-pitched giggles from the 'popular girls' table as well.

I initiated the conversation, trying to push the mild hurt away by focusing on something else. "So, Collin, are you ready for tomorrow? Gonna show us all the good trails in the forest?"

Collin looked guiltily at me before shooting a panicked look at Brady. "Aw, man, you didn't tell her?"

"Well, I haven't seen her till now! And Seth only told me about it an hour ago!" Brady's voice sounded defensive.

I looked suspiciously at my brother and his friend. "Tell me what?"

"Well," started Brady, "we've been invited to a playoff party tomorrow afternoon. And I really, really want to go! Don't look at me like that. You know my team is playing..." He trailed off when he caught my resigned expression.

"You guys are ditching me? For a party?"

"Well, yeah. But, don't worry, there will be adults there, so no booze or anything." Brady laughed nervously.

"Hah! Like you would be able to even stand that taste of beer anyhow. Trust me, kid, it's disgusting. Just say no and all that." I smiled a little. "Where is this party supposed to be held?"

Collin piped up, "At Seth's house."

"Seth Clearwater? I thought you told us to steer clear of him, because he's part of the gang!" I was surprised at the sudden change of heart in the boys.

"Well, Seth was my friend before he started acting all weird, and he said this was a way to make it up to me, for being so standoffish the past couple months."

Yeah," added Brady. "And he invited me because I'm the new kid who needs friends!" Brady didn't seem at all fazed by being the 'new kid.' He was rather proud, actually. Especially since it had landed him an invitation to a party.

"Which one's Seth?"

Collin pointed rudely. "He's the youngest one at the end of the table, closest to the door."

I glanced over my shoulder. I couldn't pick out anyone who looked younger--they all looked alike to me, like muscular gods. _Man, did I just think that? What's wrong with me, honestly? _I shook my head and focused on the young man sitting on the end of the table. He looked over to catch me looking. He grinned and waved.

I quickly turned back around before anyone else in the group could catch my eyes, not noticing the rest of his group peering in my direction.

I looked back down at my tray. "Well, that's okay guys. You go ahead to the party and we'll go hiking next Saturday, okay? I should probably work on homework anyway." I usually had all my homework done before bed the day before it was due. I never left homework for weekends, preferring instead to keep those days free for other amusements, such as reading, writing, or hiking. Apparently, I'd be spending tomorrow doing one of the former, instead of the latter, as I had planned.

I looked up and gave my best convincing smile. "You guys will have fun, I'm sure."

Brady looked me worriedly for a moment, but then his face broke out in a huge grin. "You are seriously the best sis a guy could ask for, Anna! Who else would be so nice about this?" He turned to Collin, who was wolfing down the last of lunch. "See, man? I told you she'd be fine with it."

I rolled my eyes. Brothers. What can ya do?

That night I did the last of the troublesome math problems due on Monday and put away my schoolbag. So, tomorrow I had a whole day free. Brady was going to hang out at Collin's till the party in the late afternoon. Lila and Mom had plans to go to Port Angeles for shopping and some last-minute mother-daughter bonding. Mom tried to give special one-on-one times to each of her children and tomorrow was Lila's turn. She'd been so resentful lately that Mom was worried that Lila would be packing her bags and leaving on graduation day in three weeks.

Dad was working all day tomorrow, so I was on my own. _What to do, what to do? _I mused while I prepared for bed.

I decided to sleep on it. Maybe it would be warm enough to go swimming. You never could tell--some days seemed very warm, even with the pouring rain. Others seemed frigid cold, the rain like ice drops, freezing on my face. Maybe tomorrow's weather would give me an idea on how to pass the day.


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: All recognizable characters and plot devices are the sole property of the illustrious Stephenie Meyer, whom I can only imitate. This fan fiction is for entertainment purposes only. No copyright infringement intended.**

* * *

What I'm reading: _Canon_, by SideKick55, is a delightful post-Breaking Dawn story told from a unique point of view: a non-Cullen. Read along as Ethan moves to tiny Forks and discovers that the town holds ancient secrets. This story is both hilarious and captivating. Check it out and don't forget to leave some review love!

* * *

____

Chapter Four

____

I awoke to the front door slamming. The sun shone through my window, illuminating the rain droplets still clinging to the windowsill. It was only drizzling outside, though. No downpour.

"Ugh" I rolled over and looked at my clock.

10:34 am.

"Ugh!" With nothing really planned for my day I was reluctant to even get out of bed, but figured I should at least make an effort at being human. Maybe I should explore La Push. That would take, what, an hour at most? La Push was so tiny. I could start at the beach and go down to the marina, stop by the hotel to see Dad. Hmmm. I could take him lunch. He'd like that.

I heaved myself out of bed and started getting ready for my lonely day. _Why didn't you put up more of a fuss when Brady had mentioned he be ditching you today?_ I thought to myself disgustedly. _You have no reason to complain, since you didn't say anything when you should have. Just make the most of it. At least the sun's out! _I put on a pair of shorts and plain tee-shirt. No need to get dressed up just to wander around the rez.

I prepared a several turkey sandwiches for lunch, wrapping up my dad's and putting them in a bag so I could carry them over to his workplace. I grabbed a bottle of water for myself, shoved my small umbrella and rain jacket into my bag, checking to make sure my compass still hung from the key chain on the zipper.

_Okay, La Push, time to be explored!_ I stepped outside, not bothering to lock the front door. La Push was small enough that everyone knew one another. I doubted there were any robbers waiting for me to leave so they could steal our junk. We didn't really own anything of exceptional value anyway.

I started towards the beach. As my legs pulled me over the hill, my breath caught. With the sun shining through the light morning drizzle, the sandy shore revealed its treasure: small rainbow-colored pebbles strewn near the water's edge. They all glimmered in the light, adding to the sparkle of the waves as they crested and broke on the wet sand. I sat on my favorite driftwood log and simply drank in the sight. The island across the water, St James Island, jutted up proudly from the sea, its cliffs glaring white against a blue sky. The trees above the cliffs reached with their highest branches, trying to grab the few clouds that released their drizzling rain.

I sighed. It was sights like these that made me wish I could stay in La Push forever, to live here after I 'grew up.' But I couldn't, adopted or not. I wasn't a Quileute, wasn't married to one, and, unless I planned on living in my parents' house for the rest of my life--which I didn't plan on, even though I loved them both dearly--I'd have to move after a year. I supposed I'd go to college somewhere. I knew the time had passed for applying for the fall semester. I'd purposely put it off, since the family had been moving and I wanted to spend as much time with them before parting. Besides, I really did love my parents' culture--the Quileute nation was fascinating to me. I had all the history books and had studied the language under my father's tutelage. Staying longer in La Push was a dream come true for me, so putting off college for a year hadn't been a difficult decision. I was determined to enjoy it while it lasted.

Sliding from the log, I pulled myself from my reverie and started walking down the beach, towards the marina.

I spent the morning admiring the fishing boats docked along the pier, listening to the gentle lapping of the waves against the wooden beams holding up the little bridge to the hotel where Dad was working. I dropped off his lunch, earning a warm hug from him. He showed me around the resort, though it was so small it could hardly be called a resort. I got introduced to the other managers on duty that day. Apparently, with summer almost upon us, they had tons of work to do in order to get ready for the peak tourist season. I got out of the way quickly after that, and left Dad to his work.

_Now what?_ I tried to figure out what to do next. I could go back home, but it was only three in the afternoon. I'd be bored out of my mind. Instead, I headed to the few shops that lined the main road in the town, starting with the one closest to the beach.

The shop by the beach was a touristy store, selling woven straw and wooden baskets and carved wolf masks. The middle-aged woman behind the counter smiled at me but left me to browse uninterrupted. I fingered a small wolf figurine carved from driftwood. It was superbly crafted. I wondered if the school taught this kind of carving in the woodworking class my brother was taking. I'd have to get him to make me something to add to my collection of Quileute artifacts.

I moved on to the small grocery store, hoping to get a granola bar. I decided to go on a hike after all. Who needs brothers, right? I'd go without Brady and Collin. They wanted to party? Fine. I wouldn't change my plans just because they wanted to hang out with a crazy gang member.

I swiftly walked the aisles, searching for snacks. Finally, I found the trail mix, and--**yes**--granola bars! Lunch was several hours past, and my stomach was begging for a snack. While standing there, examining boxes, trying to decide whether to get blueberry crunch or strawberry chewy, I felt a figure come to stand beside me. I glanced up at the beautiful girl pulling boxes of microwaveable popcorn off the shelves and into her overflowing cart. She had lovely copper skin and midnight black hair, pulled back into a ponytail.

"I recommend the blueberry, if you're trying to decide." Her voice washed over me, infused with happy laughter.

She turned to me and held out a hand. "I'm Emily Young."

I stifled a gasp when I took in the right side of her face that had been previously turned away from me. Her beauty was marred by three red lines that ran from her hairline to her chin, stopping to pull the corner of one eye into a downward slant and the corner of her mouth into a grimace. It was a shocking sight.

I forced myself to look into her dark eyes. They twinkled at me.

"And you are?" She gently prompted me.

"Oh, I'm Anna Darkwood. I just moved here with my family." I tried hard to look in her eyes while I spoke, but her scars pulled my gaze. I limply shook her hand.

She smiled, seemingly unfazed by my rude stare. "It's nice to meet you, Anna. I assume you attend QTS?"

"Yeah, I'm a senior. Only three weeks to go, yay." I cheered weakly, my nervousness at talking to a beautiful stranger, scars notwithstanding, getting to me.

"Well, that's good. My cousin is a senior, too." She paused and frowned. I watched, biting my lip, as the right side of her mouth stayed up while the rest of her mouth turned downward. "Well, she _was _a senior, I should say. I don't believe she's been back to school for quite some time, since Uncle Harry died."

"Oh, are you talking about Leah Clearwater?"

She looked back at me, amazed. "Yes, how did you know?"

"Oh, well, one of Seth's friends, Collin, is now also one of my brother Brady's friends. He was dishing to us about all our classmates during lunch the other day." I paused, horrified that I'd admitted to gossiping.

Emily relieved my fears by laughing. "Ah, yes. Collin. Sweet kid. He'll make a good friend for your brother. Seth, too."

"Yeah, he and my brother are going to Seth's playoff party tonight."

She brightened up even more. When she smiled like that, her eyes sparkled, and it was easier to ignore her scars. "Oh yeah? That's being held at my fiance's house. Or, at least, part of the party is—we're supposed to start the night off at the Clearwater's. I'm here trying to buy enough snacks for all the guys who are coming. They eat like pigs." Her light laugh sounded again.

I was starting to really like Emily. She seemed to have a very sunny attitude, despite being so disfigured. It wasn't so hard anymore to look past her scars, too.

"Wow, small rez, huh? Well, I'll leave you to that, then. It was nice meeting you."

She spun around as I sidestepped her, heading to the checkout lane clutching my box of blueberry granola bars. "You should come to the party tonight. I'd love to have another girl there to talk to. Sometimes the guys get completely caught up in the game and ignore everything and everyone else."

I smiled and said, "Well, I really don't want to impose. Besides, I was planning on going hiking for a couple hours before heading home to spend the evening with my dad."

Emily's face fell a little before brightening up again. "Okay, well I hope I'll get to see you again sometime. I know what it's like, moving to a new place. I only moved to this reservation a year ago. Feel free to come by sometime. Maybe we could have a movie night or something. Perhaps next week, say, Friday?"

A wide smile took over my face. "I'd like that a lot. Thanks, Emily." I'd made a new friend!

I paid for my granola bars and gave another wave to Emily, who was inching toward the checkout lane herself, throwing bags of chips in her cart as she moved. Stepping outside, I looked up at the sky. The drizzle had ceased so I turned to the forest and quickly found a path leading into the green foliage. Glancing at my compass, I stowed my purchase in my bag, grabbing and unwrapping a bar for myself, before starting out at a brisk pace.

I walked for about an hour, keeping to the now fading trail, checking my compass often, like a good little hiker. The scenery out here was amazing. The emerald green of the moss nestled itself against darker green of leafy trees, with a few brown spots here and there where the barks of trees peeked out from the moss. The forest floor was covered in a thick carpet of green grass, the soil obviously very rich from all the rain. I soaked it all in as I pushed on, oblivious to the darkening sky.

Suddenly, a trio of howls sounded from behind me.

* * *

**Ten points to anyone who can identify the owner of the tourist shop on the beach!**

**A/N 4/20/09: I'll be heading out of town for a long weekend, starting on Thursday morning. So I plan to update and post a chapter on Thursday morning, early, before I leave. Don't want to leave my readers hanging! ;-)  
**


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: All recognizable characters and plot devices are the sole property of the illustrious Stephenie Meyer, whom I can only imitate. This fan fiction is for entertainment purposes only. No copyright infringement intended.**

* * *

What I'm reading: _Survival of the Soul_, by Lady Saffir, is an AU Twilight story, following Bella's life as she recovers, with the help of her new family, the Cullens, from a trauma suffered at the hands of a sadistic vampire. This story is very tastefully written, and has held me captive the two times I've read through it. It isn't finished yet, so more exciting chapters will continue to amaze! Of particular note is Lady Saffir's characterization of Rosalie--I especially like her version of the beauty. Check it out and don't forget to leave review love!

* * *

Previously . . .

__

I walked for about an hour, keeping to the now fading trail, checking my compass often, like a good little hiker. The scenery out here was amazing. The emerald green of the moss nestled itself against darker green of leafy trees, with a few brown spots here and there where the barks of trees peeked out from the moss. The forest floor was covered in a thick carpet of green grass, the soil obviously very rich from all the rain. I soaked it all in as I pushed on, oblivious to the darkening sky.

Suddenly, a trio of howls sounded from behind me.

____

Chapter five

____

I froze. The howling faded away and I gingerly tried to move my stiff limbs. Turning around, I peered into the dusk.

Nothing.

The sky was overcast and the moon was rising, I noticed. _Time to head home. Don't want to get eaten by any wild creatures out here._ I turned and started back the way I'd come, checking my compass to be sure I hadn't wandered onto a false path.

The corner of my eye caught a flash of red on the trail ahead. I would have completely missed it but for the fact that everything here was so _green _and the red stood out in stark relief against the moss. Or at least, I thought it did. As I turned my head to get a better look, I realized the red had disappeared. Maybe it had never been there at all--the waning light was playing tricks on my eyesight. I started forward again, anxious to get out of the forest before it got too dark to see my hand in front of my face. Before any wolves decided to come eat me.

Just then a tall man stepped out from the trees in front of me. I stopped short, my heart skipping a few beats. He was wearing only a pair of ratty denim shorts, his muscular chest shining with sweat, rising and falling in gasps as though he'd been running. I pulled my eyes away from his six-pack and looked at his face.

"Seth? Seth Clearwater?"

It was Seth! The six-packs I'd been admiring belonged to a 14 year-old!

"You shouldn't be out here alone at night, Anna." He stepped closer.

I checked my watch and noticed with shock that it was almost seven in the evening! "Um. Yeah, well, I hadn't planned on being all the way out here so late. I just got carried away by how pretty the forest is and I didn't turn around till I heard those wolves howling a little bit ago. Did you hear them? What are you doing out here, anyway? Don't you have a party at your house? That you invited my little brother and his friend Collin to?" I babbled on and on, a bit unnerved by the concerned way Seth was looking at me through the gathering gloom. Was that _worry _in his eyes? What could he possibly be worried about?

He sighed. "Look, let me walk you home, okay? I don't want you to get lost out here."

I noticed he conveniently ignored all my questions, but I let him take my elbow and steer in the right direction anyway.

"Wow, your hand is really warm, "I commented as he hurried me along the path. "Are you sick?"

He dropped my arm abruptly. "No, I'm just warmer than usual, I guess."

We hiked the rest of the way in silence. Seth kept peering into the woods, his head swiveling back and forth as he rushed me along the path, as if he expected something to jump out at us at any moment, but nothing did. It seemed only minutes before we came upon the town and only seconds before we reached my front door, but in reality, it was closer to an hour. The sun was long gone, the stars peeking between dark clouds above.

"Thanks for seeing me home, Seth." I smiled and tried to infuse as much gratitude into my voice as possible, Even though he'd been very silent on the walk back, he'd seemed very tense. I wondered if it had anything to do with the wolves we'd heard howling occasionally during our walk back.

"I probably would have been devoured by wolves or something. You rescued me!" I laughed a little.

Seth gave me a small smile. "Sure, no problem. Look, don't go into the woods alone, okay? It isn't safe."

With that he bid me good night and strode off into the darkness.

Huh. How strange.

____

The next day I sought out Brady. He was in front of the computer in the den, playing some computer game that required the player to shoot at bad guys from around blind corners. Blood spurted on one edge of the screen, indicating that he'd made the shot and destroyed the bad guy.

I sighed. Violence and kids these days.

"Hey, Brady."

He grunted in response.

"Brady, how that party last night?" I tried again.

At that he paused the game. "It was great! I met Seth's mom and his sister. Seth, Collin and I hung out at his house for a while and then we went over to this other guy's house to watch the game. I think his name was Sam. There were a bunch of people there, and lots of food and snacks. I had a blast! Thanks so much for letting me and Collin off from hiking! It rained a little anyhow, so it wouldn't have been nice for hiking, right?"

"Actually," I boasted, "I went hiking anyway, without you guys. Mom and Lila went shopping and Dad was working, so I didn't really have anything else to do."

"Really?" Brady's face fell in guilt. "Man, I'm sorry, sis. I didn't mean for you to end up all alone. You really went hiking by yourself? How was it?"

"Well, I was almost eaten by a pack of wolves, but Seth Clearwater saved me." I smirked at Brady's incredulous expression.

"Huh, what?"

"Okay, so maybe I wasn't actually attacked by wolves or anything." I sat on the edge of the sofa and allowed myself to get animated about my exciting tale. "But I did go pretty deep into the woods, and it was getting really late when I heard a bunch of them howling." I paused. "Kinda freaked me out a little, " I admitted.

"Then Seth Clearwater showed up and walked back home with me. Took almost an hour of hiking, that's how far I was into the woods! He said he wanted to make sure I got out of the forest alive." I knew I was exaggerating Seth's words just a teensy bit, but the size of Brady's eyes kept getting bigger and I was having fun seeing how big I could make them get.

I tried not to sound accusing as I asked, "Wasn't he supposed to be at that party you went to last night, Brady?" My feet shuffled against the carpet as I shifted my position on the sofa.

"Well, yeah. He was there, too. I don't understand how he could have walked you home. He left the party for a little bit, but he wasn't gone more than an hour and a half. I don't see how he could have hiked out to where you were and them hiked back with you. Wouldn't that have taken two hours?"

"Yeah, it would have. And it begs the question: what was he doing out in the woods anyway? Especially when he was supposed to be at a party?"

"Are you sure it was Seth? Maybe it was his brother."

I raised my eyebrows. "Oh, does he have a brother?"

"Well, no," Brady sheepishly said.

"I guess it's just a mystery then. Maybe I'll ask him about it in school tomorrow."

"Aww, you're not gonna interrogate him, are you? I mean, from hanging out with his last night, he seems like a cool guy and I want to be friends with him. Don't pull the freaky older sister act and scare him away! Come on, please?"

I relented. Who could resist those puppy-dog eyes? "All right, okay. I suppose I ought be feeling overwhelmingly grateful, since he did help me get back home when it was getting dark. I'll drop it for now. But something strange is going on here, mark my words."

Brady changed the subject. "Oh, hey, you wanna know something funny? Well, not funny like 'I gotta laugh my head off, that's so funny,' but funny as in 'that's really weird' kind of funny."

I rolled my eyes. "Sure. What's funny?"

"A couple of those guys from the gang were at the party last night! I mean, I know Seth's in the gang, but I didn't really think he hung out with those guys outside of school, you know? But they showed up at that Sam's house. Ate most of the food, too. They left with Sam before the game, though, right when Seth took off, and they didn't come back. I think their names were Jared and Paul."

"Huh. Well, I guess that is kinda funny. Going to a playoff party but not staying for the game? What, like they had something better to do? Humph. That gang is pretty strange. You make sure you stay away from them, okay? I don't want you getting involved in drugs or anything."

This time Bray rolled his eyes at me. "Okay, _Mom_. I'll be good." He smiled cheekily at me and returned to his game.

As I returned to my room I reflected on what Brady had told me. Seth had gone out, but hadn't been gone long enough to find me and escort me back. Some of his fellow gang members left with him, but I certainly hadn't seen any of his group out in the woods with him. So what was he doing out there alone? Had I almost stumbled upon their secret drug stash or something? I gasped. It must have been a meth lab! Of course, their lab was out in the woods so no one could find it, and I'd almost blown the entire operation! Maybe. I determined to keep an eye on Seth the next few days in school, to make sure he didn't have plans of sucking my brother into his drug business.

* * *

**9/23/09 I'm heading out this morning for an extended weekend trip to Virgina, so I won't be able to respond to any reviews until I get back. BUT, that doesn't mean you should leave one! I love knowing what my readers think, even if they just point out parts they liked. [grin]**

**I should update when I get back home, on Monday. Think you can last till then? I can't, and I already know what happens next! [sigh] I'm pathetic.  
**

**Oh, and last chapter, the tourist shop on the beach belongs to Embry's mom. Reference Breaking Dawn, chapter 8. Kudos to all you who guessed right! **

**As for this chapter, we're following the events of Eclipse, so can anyone figure out why the Pack is out all patrolling and howling when they were supposed to be at a playoff party? I'll give you a hint. They aren't harvesting weed or messing around in a meth lab. Hah!  
**


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: All recognizable characters and plot devices are the sole property of the illustrious Stephenie Meyer, whom I can only imitate. This fan fiction is for entertainment purposes only. No copyright infringement intended.**

* * *

What I'm reading: Before I Knew, by , is a delightful Paul/OC imprint story. It all starts with a broken down vehicle and a very hot mechanic. Will Hannah accept Paul when she finds out his secret? Will her parents go ballistic? What kind of friend would Claire make? Read to find out, and don't forget to leave review love!

* * *

____

Chapter six

**A/N:**To read more about the Thunderbird Myth referenced in this chapter, see the link on my profile.

____

The next day dawned cloudy but dry. I quickly showered and dressed in casual jeans and a warm sweatshirt over a plain green tee shirt. I didn't have to dress up much for school here, I was glad.

The school day started out much like the days of the previous week. I went to my classes after telling Brady I'd see him at lunch. He was excited to see Collin in their first class together--yesterday had been the first day they didn't hang out, since Collin had gone to the Makah reservation with his parents to visit some cousins. Lila ignored us both and flounced ahead of me to our first class. The day sped by till lunchtime.

When I arrived at the cafeteria, my eyes automatically started to look for my brother, but I stopped them and turned my gaze toward the 'Protectors' table. The group was significantly smaller than usual. I saw Paul, Jake, and Quil huddled together in the middle of the table, with Seth sitting at his usual spot on the end. Seth looked really sad for some reason.

Huh. Maybe he hadn't sold enough drugs the day before and was in trouble or something.

I sniffed and turned away. After getting my food, I found Brady at our usual spot. Collin wasn't there.

"Where's Collin? He get held back in class for something?"

Brady looked up at me with a morose expression. "He's not here. I've been all alone today, without him, and Seth wouldn't even speak to me in woodworking class! There's something eating him, I think."

"Yeah, he looks like something's bothering him. But, look, don't worry about Collin. I'm sure he'll be back tomorrow. He's probably just sick today." I comforted my kid brother until his usual bright smile returned.

"Well," he started, changing the subject. "You wanna hear about the disturbance in woodworking class this morning?"

I laughed. I knew Collin would turn Brady into a gossipy old lady! "Sure, what disturbance happened today in woodworking class?" I started eating.

"Well, Jake showed up late--we all saw him through the window, the big one that faces the parking lot. He was riding this huge black motorcycle! He came in really fast and almost skidded onto the sidewalk! And then he jumped off the bike and came into class, slamming the door--he seemed really pissed about something. The teacher got mad and made Jake open the door again and close it properly, and everyone laughed, which only made Jake madder. It was pretty funny."

I wrinkled my forehead. "Huh, Jake was late to school?" I peeked over my shoulder at the gang's table. Jake did look mad about something, and he was in a heated whispered conversation with his friends. Seth, I noticed, stared out the window and picked at his food.

I turned back to Brady saying, "Well, that certainly is a very interesting story. I wish things like that would happen in my classes--sometimes it seems as if--" I broke off abruptly. I didn't want to start complaining about Lila's behavior again.

I started again. "I just wish I weren't such an outsider, you know?"

But Brady seemed to understand. "Yeah, I understand. Don't sweat it. _I_ think you're awesome and that's what counts, right? Who cares about Lila and her snobby friends? Just because you aren't a replica of Pocahontas doesn't mean you're any less pretty or any less valuable as a person." He finished his lunch and smiled at me.

_Wow. When had my kid brother grown up? He seemed so . . . wise all of a sudden._

He took a long swig of his drink and belched at me.

_Okay. Maybe not entirely grown up._

______

Collin didn't return to school all week. Brady had called his house every day after school, asking if he could see Collin, but was told that he was sick and unavailable. Collin's mom told Brady that he had mono and so he wouldn't see anyone.

Every day at lunch I surreptitiously watched the gang's table. Every day there were gang members missing. Sometimes Jared was there, his girlfriend Kim sitting almost in his lap. Jake and his two wing men, Embry and Quil, took turns cutting school, too. Paul only showed up twice that whole week. Off selling crystal meth at other schools, no doubt. Seth started to look a bit happier, though. He smiled at me a few times when he caught me looking, but generally ignored me. It didn't bother me, since, not only did I not feel like lowering myself to fraternize with drug dealers, I was a senior and he was a freshman, and we only ever crossed paths at lunchtime.

On Friday, things changed.

In my Quileute Culture class, which I had right before lunch, I received the last assignment of the school year. Our teacher explained to us students that this assignment would count as forty percent of our grade, so it was pretty important. Most of my classmates groaned, but I got excited. This was my favorite class and any excuse to do more research was fine by me. I knew it wouldn't take me all that long anyway.

We had to choose an aspect of Quileute culture, do some research in class and after school in the library, and write a two page essay about it. Then we had to find a unique way to educate someone else about what we had learned. Easy. I could churn out the two page essay in under half an hour, I knew. I already knew what I wanted to look up in the library.

Wolves.

Ever since hearing those wolves in the forest, I'd been curious to know if any Quileute legends featured them. I had read other Quileute stories that prominently featured animals, like the Thunderbird Myth, which was about a huge bird that plucked a killer whale from the sea and brought it to the starving tribe in time of famine, providing needed food. Many of the old stories featured fish, since, of course, this was a fishing tribe, being located so close the sea and the river. But I wanted to search out wolf stories, if there were any. Dad had told me a few over the years, feeding my thirst for his culture, but I wasn't sure how accurately he'd relayed them. I'd have to find some written accounts.

I did a little research in class, as instructed, logging onto the Internet and making a list of books to check out at the library that afternoon. The bell rang, signalling the end of class and the start of the lunch period. I stretched--I'd been hunched over the computer for almost the whole class period.

I hurried to the cafeteria, and took my place at our table after getting my food. Brady arrived just as I did.

"Hey, kid, how's your day going? Any more disturbances?" I smiled, trying to cheer him up. He'd been in a funk all week since his friend had been sick.

"No, nothing to report--" Brady's eyes widened as he looked over my shoulder. "What--" He choked out. "What's he doing with _them_?"

I turned quickly and gasped. Collin, looking alive and well, had just walked into the cafeteria with the _Protector gang_. "What, indeed? I thought he didn't like them. I thought he had _mono_!"

He didn't look like he hated them so badly now. He also didn't look sick at all. In fact, he looked the very picture of health, with his russet skin glowing. He and Seth were playfully shoving each other as they loaded their lunch trays and took a seat with the rest of Seth's friends. They all seemed pretty happy, not awkward at all.

I turned back toward Brady when I felt him stand up. His hands were shaking and there was a scowl on his face. "How could he? After all he told us?"

"Brady, calm down. These things happen. It's school drama, you know? Only I'd expect this of Lila's group, not of your friend." I started to get worried as Brady began to move toward his friend. "Brady, this probably isn't a good time to go confront him--"

He ignored me and strode across the room and stopped right in front of Collin and Seth. The table grew silent, all bantering and laughter gone.

"Collin, man, this is sick. What's wrong with you? I tried all week to see you and you don't even return my phone calls. Then you come back to school and these are your new best friends?" Brady seemed to vibrate, he was shaking so badly with anger.

Collin had the good sense to look at least guilty. Seth too. The rest of the table--Jacob, Quil, Embry, Jared with his girlfriend Kim, and Paul--all watched warily. Jared stood up and moved in front of his girlfriend, as if to shield her from the waves of anger radiating off my brother.

I hurried over and took Brady's arm. "Come on, kid. Just leave it."

Collin looked at me, concern flickering in his eyes. "I really am sorry. I just--"

Paul interrupted, "Collin!" He shook his head and seemed to say something under his breath that I couldn't quite catch. It sounded like "Not now, not here."

I realized the whole gang was staring at me as I tugged Brady's arm again. He slumped his shoulders and started to back away. "Go outside and wait for me, okay, Brady?" I looked in his eyes, noting the unshed tears forming. I had to get him away from school before he completely humiliated himself. He'd never live it down if he broke down in tears in front of everyone; I wanted to save my kid brother from anything like that, so I determined to take him home.

Brady shuffled back to our table, disposed of our trays, and vanished out the cafeteria doors. My eyes followed him, and, when I was sure he was gone, I rounded on Collin and Seth.

"Do you have some sort of game you're playing? It isn't nice to toy with people's feelings!" I let all my sisterly rage pour into the few words I dished out and saw with inner glee that Collin and Seth both hung their heads in shame. "You boys make me sick!"

I turned to the rest of the staring table, meeting each boy's eyes. I barely noted that Jared had retreated to another table with his girlfriend. "You guys should be ashamed. Dealing drugs and whatever other business you gang members do is stupid and foolish and I won't have my brother sucked into it!"

I glared at each boy in turn, faltering when I reached Embry Call's face. While the other boys were looking at me with varying degrees of impatience, scorn, and even mirth at my words, his face showed only shock and amazement. His mouth hung open and his mocha brown eyes gazed at me steadily, as if unable to look away. His brow furrowed as if trying to comprehend some great mystery. He gasped a few times, his jaw working up and down, like he was trying to formulate some answer to my accusing stare.

I took a step back and wrenched my eyes from his intense gaze. Well, maybe I got through to at least one of them. I gave a parting "Humph!" and spun on my heel, marching out of the cafeteria with head held high, ignoring the malicious snickers of Lila and her friends. I knew they'd seen my outburst, and probably thought me insane for challenging the most revered group in the school, but I didn't care. I had to find my brother.

I found him already trudging home, head bowed. I walked with him in silence all the way there. At the doorway of his room he turned and wrapped me in a hug. "Thanks, sis." Then he closed the door and left me standing in the hall.

Sighing, I busied myself with calling the school and explaining that Brady had become ill and I had taken him home. I gathered my thoughts. Going back to school for the rest of the day didn't sound very appealing to me. I'd probably just lash out at any gang members who happened across my path. I still had some time before our parents returned home. _Might as well use the time to work on your Quileute Culture project, Anna. Brady probably won't come out of his room till dinner; don't want to waste the whole afternoon._ I left a note on the fridge explaining that I'd be back by dinnertime and then started towards the library.

For the rest of the afternoon, I worked on my research. I focused on the Olympic wolf and its impact on the legends and stories. The wolf showed up in several Quileute tales. I knew the tribe was supposedly descendant from wolves, with men who could change or shape-shift into their previous canine form in times of trouble. What I didn't know till now was that the Olympic wolf was endangered on the Olympic Peninsula.

I found some great retellings of the stories and quickly lost track of time as I immersed myself in the musty pages of rarely-opened books. Stories of men who morphed into huge wolves and legends of 'Cold Ones' gave way to the tales of the Third Wife and her great sacrifice. I knew these stories from my father--he'd encouraged my interest is his heritage and had freely shared with me the legends he'd learned as a kid growing up in La Push. But reading the stories for myself was fascinating and I had to pull myself, with great reluctance, away from the pages of the books after almost three hours. I needed to type up a paper on the library computer.

After forty-five minutes, my paper was written and printed, prepared for Monday. Now I just had to find a way to share what I'd learned with someone in the community. _Spreading the education around_. I smiled to myself as I replaced the books I'd referenced to their homes on the shelves. I'd definitely be revisiting this section of the stacks.

I decided to create some fliers about the endangered Olympic wolf. I could pass them out in the town of Forks, and maybe leave some in a few stores. I quickly logged back on to one of the library computers and created an informational sheet on the wolves. I found a nice drawing of a wolf in front of fir tree, howling at the sky. I placed that under the caption, **Save the Olympic Wolf**. I printed out my fliers on bright yellow paper. Eye-catching.

Just then, a warm hand tapped my shoulder.

* * *

**There you go--what you were all waiting for. Tell me what you think of the imprint event. :-)**

**Last chapter (and the one before that), the reason there were wolves howling and totally not where they were supposed to be (the playoff party), was because they had caught a trail of a certain vampire. That flash of red Anna thought she saw? It was Victoria. She escaped over the line, and then crossed back over, and the wolves would have had her if Emmett hadn't tried to grab her, causing Paul to jump on him, which in turn forced Jasper to leave off the chase to calm everyone down giving Victoria the chance to dive over the cliff and swim away . . . You remember the story. **


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: All recognizable characters and plot devices are the sole property of the illustrious Stephenie Meyer, whom I can only imitate. This fan fiction is for entertainment purposes only. No copyright infringement intended.**

* * *

What I'm reading: 112 Masen Lane, by Barefootduchess, is a catching alternate universe story centering on Bella, the inquisitive teenager, and Edward, the brooding owner of a century-old house in Chicago. Bella, who moves across the street from the empty house, breaks in and falls in love with the mysterious history of the house. Edward, dealing with grief over a separate event, catches her (how embarrassing!), and a strange relationship ensues from there. What happens? Read to find out, and don't forget to leave review love!

* * *

Previously . . .

_I decided to create some fliers about the endangered Olympic wolf. I could pass them out in the town of Forks, and maybe leave some in a few stores. I quickly logged back on to one of the library computers and created an informational sheet on the wolves. I found a nice drawing of a wolf in front of fir tree, howling at the sky. I placed that under the caption, **Save the Olympic Wolf**. I printed out my fliers on bright yellow paper. Eye-catching._

_Just then, a warm hand tapped my shoulder._

____

Chapter seven

____

I turned, my eyes running from the hand on my shoulder up the arm of--I gasped in surprise. The arm attached to the hand belonged to Embry Call.

"Y-yes?" I tried to keep my nervousness from my voice. Was he here to put me in my place for yelling at him and his group this morning? I'd been bold then, but now that boldness gave way to agitation.

His white teeth shone against the russet background of his skin as his lips stretched into a shy smile. Those lips--I stared up at them for a moment, in a trance. They looked so soft.

_What? Anna, you're honestly losing it._ I mentally shook myself and snapped my gaze away from his mouth and to his eyes. They held a concerned look. _For me?_

I realized his hand was still on my shoulder and I quickly sidestepped, letting it drop off me and back down to his side. "What do you want?"

"I just, well, I came to. . . . Um, I wanted--" His words stumbled as he tried to formulate a sentence. "I just wanted to make sure you're okay. And to, well . . . to make sure you're okay. Oh, and your brother, too." He broke off when he saw my confused look.

"Uh. Okay. Yeah, I'm fine. Brady will be fine. Thanks." I shook my head and grabbed my fliers as I turned to walk out the door.

Embry's panicked voice called out as he trotted after me in the parking lot. "Don't go! Where are you going, Anna?"

I stopped. He caught up and came around to stand in front of me. I peered up, way up, craning my neck so I could see his face. He was so tall! At least six and a half feet, if not more. And muscular, too. The dark tee shirt he wore did nothing to hide the muscles bulging at his arms and chest.

_Stop admiring his muscles, Anna!_

I focused on his face which was framed by shoulder length crow-black hair. "How did you know my name?"

"Oh," he seemed taken aback for a moment. "Seth told me."

"Ah, I see." I didn't see. Why should he care what my name was? Why should he care who I was at all, unless he had some plan to make me pay for standing up to Collin and Seth this morning?

_Better get out of here, Anna._ Again I sidestepped him and started walking.

He fell into pace beside me. "Can I walk you home?" He sounded so hopeful.

"I think that's what you're doing, isn't it?" I seriously didn't have any experience at trying to scare away guys. If he had planned on berating me for my behavior, he'd have done it by now. Why in the world did Embry Call even want to walk me home anyway? I had no idea, so I asked him.

"Why do you want to walk me home anyway?"

He rubbed the back of his neck, his long fingers disappearing under his hair. I wondered if his hair was a soft and thick as it looked. My hand twitched.

"I want to make sure you get there safely."

I reined in my thoughts before I acted on them. "Why do you care? If this is a ploy to get me to buy some of your weed, you can cut it out now. I don't do drugs." I snapped at him.

Embry looked confused for a second before smiling again. "Drugs? What are you talking about?"

I faltered at his earnest expression. I tore my eyes away from his a concentrated on my shoes. I noticed that his feet, walking beside mine, were bare. "Uh, never mind. Fine, you can walk me home. But don't think that it means I like you or anything." I gasped as I realized what I'd said. Great, now I sounded like a middle schooler! Where had that even come from? _Control, Anna, control!_

His deep chuckle sounded beside me "Sure, no problem."

We walked in silence for a few minutes. I chanced a glance up at him. He was gazing down at me with an intense expression that I couldn't decipher. In the split second I had turned my attention away from my feet, I stumbled on some loose gravel.

He shot out an arm to steady me, his hand closing around my elbow, heating the flesh there.

I paused for a moment too long, enjoying the warmth, before yanking my elbow out of his grasp. "Um. Thanks," I muttered, embarrassed.

"No problem. So. What's your favorite color?"

How random. What kind of drug dealer/gang member asks strange girls what their favorite color is? For that matter, what kind of drug dealer/gang member walks that girl home, just to 'make sure she's safe'?

A little of my earlier boldness returned. I decided to mess with him a little, since he was obviously messing with me. "Guess."

"Oh. How about . . . pink?

I laughed. "Nope."

"Um . . . blue?"

"Uh-uh." I was really enjoying this too much. He was so serious as he tried to guess correctly! The look on his face was intense and completely focused. _Weird._

"Okay. Purple?" His voice was sounding a bit desperate.

I took pity on the poor guy. "Here's a hint. Look around you. What do you see?"

His head swiveled as he took in the forest butting against the houses, the small lawns lapping against the road, the moss encroaching the trunks of the tall trees. He smiled. "Green, right?"

"Yup." I rewarded him with a small smile.

He fired off several more questions: what kind of food did I like? Italian.

Did I have any hobbies? Writing.

What did I like so far about La Push? The forest and the beach.

I finally cut in and decided asked a few questions of my own. I don't know why I was interested. I should have been running far away from this guy. He had to be up to no good, right? Why was I carrying on this conversation with him at all? My logical side struggled with my emotional side. My logical side lost. _Just go with the flow, Anna. Just chatting about nothing isn't going to hurt anything. He hasn't offered to sell you any drugs yet, or told you to stay off the gang's turf or whatever gang members do.  
_

"What about you, Embry? What are your hobbies?"

"Oh, I like to work on motorbikes. My friend Jake has a garage where we hang out and build engines and stuff. He built an entire car from scrap, you know."

"Jake? The same Jake from school, the guy who is in your gang?"

Embry looked at me from the corner of his eyes. "I'm not in a gang, Anna. I mean, the group I hang out with, well, we have a lot on common, but we aren't bad. We're doing a lot of good for La Push, actually."

"Oh, like what?" I challenged. There was no way a group of the size--as in, amount of people, not size of muscle--was _not _up to no good. They had some sort of secret, I knew that for sure.

He looked uncomfortable, like he'd said something he shouldn't. "Well, we make sure there's no crime. You could kinda call us the La Push Rangers."

"What, a bunch of kids? You guys enforce the law here?" I scoffed. He was deliberately misleading me. No surprise there.

"We're not kids," he said defensively. "We're responsible and the Tribal Council trusts us. I wish you would, too."

"The Council?"

"Yeah, Sam Uley, our Al--" He broke off. "Our leader. He's on the Council."

"Oh, I see. So you guys aren't a gang?"

"No, "he chuckled.

"And you all don't have a crystal meth lab out in the forest?"

"What?" Embry just looked at me, laughter sparking in his eyes.

"You aren't drug dealers?"

"Nope, don't do drugs. Or sell them. Seriously, where did you get these crazy ideas?"

I looked down. "Um, Collin. He said you guys are up to no good."

"Oh." His lips pressed together in a line. Those lips . . .

By this time, we'd arrived at my house. I paused before going up the walkway. "Thanks for walking with me." I was confusing myself. Why was I being nice to him? Just because he swore he wasn't a drug dealer didn't mean he was good guy! There had to be a reason why Collin had warned us about Embry's group. I mean, sure, all the girls in school swooned every time any of the 'Protectors' entered the classroom. The fact that they were all pureblooded made them the most sought after guys in the school. But a lot of the guys didn't like the group at all. Collin _had _warned us, after all. Was it all just some kind of macho rivalry?

His shy smile made him look more his age and less like a twenty-five year old. It was nice. I could really get to like that smile. "Anytime, Anna. I'll see you at school, I guess." He watched me open the front door and enter the house.

As I closed the door, I peeked through the window to the side of the door and saw Embry turn and head into the forest across the street. Before the treeline swallowed him and swept him from view, I thought I saw him pull off his shirt.

I shook my head. _Wishful thinking, Anna. And you should be wishing for things like that anyway. Seriously! Are you replacing your brain with hormones now?_


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: All recognizable characters and plot devices are the sole property of the illustrious Stephenie Meyer, whom I can only imitate. This fan fiction is for entertainment purposes only. No copyright infringement intended.**

* * *

What I'm reading: Home again, by Pup-of-power, is a Paul imprint story. Pup's been hounding (yes, yes, _hounding_, hah hah) me to pimp her story for her ever since I told her I would, so this goes out to you Pup! Pup creates a very unique OC/imprintee, Ellison Rae, who will steal your heart from chapter one. Pup's amazing descriptions will blow your mind, and her writing style is incredibly mature and well-developed. This story is just starting out, but please do go check it out--you won't regret it! Don't forget to leave some review love!

* * *

____

Chapter Eight

____

That evening, after dinner, I borrowed the car and drove the thirty-five minutes up to Forks. I dropped off some of my Olympic Wolf fliers at the diner before stopping at Newton's Olympic Outfitters. Stepping inside the store just before it closed, I spotted a blond woman behind the counter, ringing up a last-minute purchase for a hiker. She looked very . . . un-rugged. Her outfit was a skintight, super-short floral dress and her highlighted hair was twisted up into a fancy bun on top of her head. As she stepped around the counter, I noticed she had spiky high heels on. What was someone like her doing working in a store like this?

"We're about to close, dear. Is there anything I can help you find?"

"Oh, no, actually, I wanted to see if I could speak to a manager about possibly leaving some fliers here on the counter."

"Well, you're in luck. My husband owns this store, so I can help you. What kind of fliers exactly?"

Oh; that explained it--she didn't work here because she had a hidden love of camping and hiking hiding under her designer self. She was here because her husband owned the store. Makes total sense. Now that I was sure she wasn't some wacko who couldn't find a job that fit her lifestyle, I explained, "I'm doing a project for school, in my Quileute Culture class at QTC. I have to find a 'unique way' to educate the public about a topic I've researched. I made up these fliers about the Olympic wolf and wondered if I could leave some on your counter here."

"Ah. I guess that would be all right." She looked at me doubtfully, but smiled, her shiny red lips parting to reveal some lipstick on her unnaturally white teeth.

I placed a stack of yellow fliers on the counter, muttered, "Thanks so much. Have a nice evening," and hightailed it out of there.

On the drive home through the darkening gloom, a flash of grey through the trees rushing past my window. I peered into the forest, but didn't see anything. Must have been some sort of animal, getting ready for a night of hunting or sleeping, depending on whether it was nocturnal or not. Or else my eyes were playing tricks one m, which was entirely possible. This day had been a long, strange one. Crazy drama at school, that whole Embry-Call-walking-me-home thing, Mrs. Newton's being so obviously out of place in her husband's store. I needed my bed and nice soft pillow!

A few minutes later, I caught sight of the grey patch again from the corner of my eye. I looked. Nothing.

Then I heard a wolf howl. I started, hands clenching tighter on the steering wheel. It sounded so close! Maybe it was an Olympic wolf! I felt a little thrill of excitement vie for dominance with the fear running rampant within me. I sped up and pulled into the driveway. I hurried into the house, slamming the door behind me. That wolf better stay away! I was fascinated with the wolves, sure, but I sure as hell didn't feel like meeting any face-to-face just now.

"I'm home!" I called.

"No one cares!" Came the call back from Lila.

I stopped off at Brady's room on the way to mine. Sticking my head inside, I noted he was already curled up under the covers of his bed, facing his window.

"Brady? Are you sleep already? It's barely eight-thirty!"

"No, I'm awake." He rolled over. His face held a sad look. He was still pretty upset from the stand-off in the school cafeteria today at lunch. _He needs a distraction_.

"Okay, well, I was thinking, we should go hiking tomorrow. Make up for last time, you know when you ditched me to go--oh, uh, never mind that."

Brady's face crumpled a little when I reminded him of the party he'd enjoyed with Collin. _Great going, Anna!_

I rushed on, "It really is beautiful out in the forest, I can attest to that. What do you say? Just you and me and great outdoors!" I infused as much enthusiasm into my voice as possible, trying to cheer him up.

"Yeah, I guess that would be fun." He half-heartily agreed.

"Okay, well, I'll see you in the morning."

He groaned. "Noooo. I wanna sleep in!"

"Okay," I said, sighing. "I guess we could go after lunch. That gives you plenty of time to sleep in. I may sleep in too, actually. I'll see you at lunch, then, all right?"

"Right. Goodnight, sis."

"'Night, kid."

I prepared for bed, thinking back on my weird day. Mocha brown eyes and a shy smile starred in my dreams.

____

After lunch the next day, Brady and I gathered our backpacks, making sure we packed water and the leftover granola bars from last Saturday. I laced up my hiking boots and threw a flashlight in my bag, just in case we were out late. Both of us took our rain jackets as protection against the promised rain.

I looked at Brady. He was slowly folding his jacket into his bag.

I asked, "Aren't you going to wear it?"

"No, I feel hot."

I put a hand to his forehead.

"Brady! You're burning up with a fever! Maybe we should stay home today."

"No," he shook his head. "I feel fine. I'm just a little overheated. I'll be okay once we get out in the cool air of the woods."

"Okay, if you're sure. I'll bring some aspirin just in case." I really didn't want to push him too hard; yesterday had been awful for him.

Finally, we started out on our hike, heading towards the southeast part of the reservation. I was hoping to hike long enough that we'd cross over the boundaries into the bit of the Olympic National Park that hugged the coast.

We engaged in playful banter while we walked along the faint trail.

I told him about my encounter with Embry Call the day before. Brady agreed that Embry's behavior was odd. He told me about some tribal masks he was carving in woodworking class and I made him promise to make me something.

We hiked for two and a half hours before stopping to take a break. The sky was overcast, but the clouds held back their rain for now. The forest floor felt spongy under my feet, and my nose twitched at the mesmerizing musky smell of the tree moss. I sat on an overturned tree, its roots sticking into the air like gnarly fingers. Pulling out a couple bottles of water, I handed one to Brady, who, I noticed, was shaking slightly.

"Brady," I started, concerned. "Are you sure you're feeling okay? Maybe we should head back now."

"No, just give me that aspirin now. I'll be okay."

"But, Brady, you're shaking!"

He snapped at me, "I'm all right! Jeez, I think I know my own body, Anna! Let's go!" Brady stalked off, leaving to hurry to catch up to his too-long strides.

Brady had never yelled at me before. I couldn't remember a time when he'd ever gotten angry, either. He was acting very strangely.

We hiked in silence for another half hour before Brady's voice whispered, "I'm sorry for yelling. I don't know what came over me. I just feel . . . _strange_. Not really sick, just weird."

"I forgive you, kid. I really do think we should turn around, though. I mean, we were going to in a little bit anyway, and, if you're feeling _weird_, it would be better to get home before it gets too dark."

Brady agreed and we started back home. After hiking for only a short while, though, the skies opened and it started to pour. Not rain. Pour.

"Anna! Over here!" Brady gestured towards a half-fallen tree on the side of the trail, its branches sweeping to the ground in a small canopy. I hurried over and Brady and I huddled together under the leaves, hoping the rain would ease up.

It didn't.

It rained heavy, can't-see-three-feet-in-front-of-you rain for the next two hours without pause. Our shelter kept most of the rain from hitting us, but the damp feeling crept in as the branches started leaking, being overloaded with rainwater from above. I was beginning to get worried. It would get dark soon, but we were still at least two hours away from home, deep in the forest, away from any roads. Our cell phones wouldn't work out here. We had a flashlight, but I wasn't confident that the batteries would last long enough. Plus, if it didn't stop raining, we'd have to spend the night under this tree, because if we couldn't see anything now, we certainly wouldn't be able to see anything in the middle of the night.

Brady shivered beside me, his fever getting higher with each passing minute.

"I don't feel so good, Anna," he moaned.

I wrapped my jacket around his body to help stop his shivering. "I'm sorry, Brady. I'm sorry about this. Don't worry, everything will be okay." I murmured, trying to soothe him.

As the daylight waned and the night fell, I clung to my miserable brother and let myself be lulled to sleep by the sound of pouring rain.

____

I awoke alone, startled from my sleep by a loud wolf's howl. I pushed myself up from the rough branch on which I'd been laying my head. The rain had stopped, but it was very dark. The moon, hidden by thick clouds, glowed dimly above the tree tops.

"Brady?" I squinted my eyes and peered out of the little shelter that had protected us from most of the rain. "Brady, where are you?"

I struggled to my feet. My legs had fallen asleep from crouching in one position for so long. Now the pins and needles ran down my legs as I shook them to return the feeling to normal. I staggered forward, lurching out of the shelter.

With the light of the moon, I recognized Brady's back about ten yards in front of me, bowed as he knelt in the soggy grass. He was retching, his whole body convulsing as he heaved.

"Brady! Are you okay?" I started forward.

"No, stay back!" His voice sounded angry under the hoarse whisper.

"What--" I started, concerned. "What do you mean? Let me help you!" _He must be really sick! Why, oh why did I insist on going hiking today?_

"No, just stay there, _please_. Don't come any closer. I don't know what's wrong with me, but I don't want to hurt you."

Now I was confused. "Hurt me? You're the one who's hurting. Here, let me get you some water." I turned back to the shelter and fumbled with my bag, searching for another bottle of water. As my fingers closed around the cool container, another howl sounded nearby.

I dropped the bag and turned to look in Brady's direction.


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: All recognizable characters and plot devices are the sole property of the illustrious Stephenie Meyer, whom I can only imitate. This fan fiction is for entertainment purposes only. No copyright infringement intended.**

* * *

What I'm reading: Today I'm recommending something a little different. _A Tale of Mirkwood_, by Lizbit, is a Lord of the Rings fanfiction that tells the epic tale of Legolas falling in love with a human. This story spans prior to the War of the Ring, and concludes at the sailing for Valinor. I found this story when I read one of Lizbit's other stories, and, on a whim, started to read it one day when I decided I needed a break from Twilight stories. I was instantly hooked and completely enamoured with Lizbit's telling of Legolas' love. Lizbit stays in canon but brings Middle Earth to life in a away I have never read before. Go read it. You'll love it, I promise. And don't forget to leave review love!

* * *

What happened before . . .

_I awoke alone, startled from my sleep by a loud wolf's howl. I pushed myself up from the rough branch on which I'd been laying my head. The rain had stopped, but it was very dark. The moon, hidden by thick clouds, shone dimly above the tree tops._

_"Brady?" I squinted my eyes and peered out of the little shelter that had protected us from most of the rain. "Brady, where are you?"_

_I struggled to my feet. My legs had fallen asleep from crouching in one position for so long. Now the pins and needles ran down my legs as I shook them to return the feeling to normal. I staggered forward, lurching out of the shelter._

_With the light of the moon, I recognized Brady's back about ten yards in front of me, bowed as he knelt in the soggy grass. He was retching, his whole body convulsing as he heaved._

_"Brady! Are you okay?" I started forward._

_"No, stay back!" His voice sounded angry under the hoarse whisper._

_"What--" I started concerned. "What do you mean? Let me help you!"_

_"No, just stay there, please. Don't come any closer. I don't know what's wrong with me, but I don't want to hurt you."_

_Now I was confused. "Hurt me? You're the one who's hurting. Here, let me get you some water." I turned back to the shelter and fumbled with my bag, searching for another bottle of water. As my fingers closed around the cool container, another howl sounded nearby._

_I dropped the bag and turned to look in Brady's direction._

____

Chapter Nine

____

His head was up and he whipped it around, fearfully searching through the gloom for the animal.

Before I could call out for him to come back to the shelter, his back shuddered and he cried out. I simply sat in silence, transfixed in horror as I watched my brother's body convulse. The violent shaking took over his whole body, till his outline seemed to blur.

Suddenly, with a ripping sound, Brady exploded into a huge ball of brown fur. I bit back a scream.

My brother had just morphed into a huge, horse-sized wolf! All I could do was crouch there, crying silently, half-hidden in our little shelter, hoping the wolf--my brother!--wouldn't turn to notice me.

His gigantic head came up to stare at the cloud-covered sky and he let out a long howl. The sound of it chilled me to the core, causing me to shiver uncontrollably. My breaths came in short gasps. His head leveled back down and he spun around to land in a crouch, growling at me once before darting into the thick forest, disappearing into the darkness.

I covered my mouth with both hands, trying to muffle my sobs. My brother--a werewolf? What did this mean? I'd just been reading the legends last night at the library, and the very next day my own brother turns those stories into reality?

_I must be hallucinating. This is all a dream brought on by my obsession with Quileute culture. My report on the Olympic wolf just pushed me over the edge. And now I've gone crazy._

Several more howls sounded, indicating that there were more wolves nearby. I heard a crashing sound in the forest. The bushes visible from the opening of the shelter quivered and shook while a grey muzzle pushed through the leaves till a pair of mocha brown eyes appeared. Those eyes stared at me intelligently for a moment before the wolf pushed its entire body out of the underbrush and leaped to tower above me.

My fright seemed detached from me somehow. I sat in the leaves, looking straight up at the grey wolf in front of me, noting the dark spots along its back. I still shivered from the cold, but the crying had stopped, the tears leaving dried rivers on my cheeks. Now I just stayed still, watching with wide eyes to see what the wolf would do, wondering if this was another shape-shifter, or if it was a real wolf, attracted by the howls, here to devour me for dinner.

_I'm going to die out here._

The wolf crept forward till it was a few feet from me. It bowed, bringing its huge head down to lie on the ground near my feet. It softly whined at me while the rest of its body plopped down on the ground. It crawled forward a few inches, wet nose nudging me, almost as if it was checking to make sure I was okay and wouldn't break out into hysterics at any second. Hysterics? Hardly. I felt like I was in shock. Not that I'd ever been in shock before, so I honestly couldn't say I knew from experience what it felt like. But what I was feeling sure seemed like shock. My mouth gaped open and my eyes--my eyes burned because I hadn't blinked for the past several minutes.

Another howl sounded, farther way this time, and was answered by my wolf--yes, I'd started to think of the wolf in front of me as mine. I'd already admitted I was crazy, right? My wolf stood to its feet and howled long and loud. I wanted to clap my hands over my ears to protect my eardrums from the sound, but I couldn't move my arms. I felt sluggish, like I was underwater.

I felt a soundless shimmering in the air, like an electrical charge was whirling around me in the breeze. My wolf's body convulsed once and its fur retracted, revealing a naked Quileute man standing in front of me. I recognized him.

"Embry?" I whispered. I felt a buzzing in my head, but I fought it off.

_Embry Call is standing naked in front of me. Embry—naked. Wow. Look at those abs, Anna. Look at that huge--_I shook my head slightly, trying to force my eyes back to his face. My thoughts swirled in my mind. _Why am I even noticing how good his body looks? I mean, other than the fact that it's practically impossible not to stare, since he's standing __**naked**__ right in front of me? I don't even like him! He's bad news—a gang member. A drug dealer. I'm dreaming. I'm having a nightmare._

Embry took a small step forward. "Anna, I won't hurt you, I promise. It will be okay."

"I know. I-I trust you." _What? Why had I said that?_

I realized that I was speaking the truth, even though my mind was screaming at me with incredulity. I really did trust this strange wolf-man. I didn't know why, but I felt a magnetic pull towards him, as if there were an invisible cord between us, tightening, drawing me to him. It confused me. I barely knew him—and what I'd been told about him wasn't good--but I felt like I could safely place my life in his hands, no matter what he was: drug dealer, gang member, or humongous wolf. It sounded so _corny_, but that's how I felt.

But I didn't like him. No way. Not that it mattered. _This is a hallucination brought on by stress. I'm going to snap out of it any second now and I'll be in the forest with Brady, sleeping under the tree branches . . . Shit! Where'd Brady go? He left me!_

Embry swiftly pulled a pair of shorts from where they'd been rolled up and tied to his ankle. He unfurled and stepped into them with one smooth, practiced movement, not breaking eye contact with me the whole time.

Then he stepped forward again and held out his arms.

"Come."

With that simple command, the spell that held me frozen broke and I was able to stand to my feet. I stumbled forward and launched myself into Embry's warm arms. He gently held me for a moment and I breathed in his musky pine scent, trying to stop my shivering. Then he swung me up, bridal style, and pulled me close to his bare chest, tucking my head under his chin. Swiftly, he ran through the trees, headed back towards La Push.

_I'm being carried through the forest by a gang member. Why am I not freaking out? What if he kills me or something? Oh wait. Come on, Anna. You know he won't do anything like that._

I didn't feel jostled at all in his arms. Even though he ran faster than any human could, his footing was sure and he seemed to glide through the dark forest silently. I heard a few far-off howls and wondered if my brother was out there alone or if another wolf-man had found him. I hoped he was okay.

_So the legends are true. Or else I'm crazy. Or maybe both._

Embry covered the distance in what seemed like just a few minutes (though I knew it had to be longer) and before I knew it, he was bypassing my darkened house, turning down an unfamiliar road. No one was out, and all of the houses of La Push were silent and dark. All except one.

Embry swept into the small house without knocking, and strode through the living room, down the hall, and into a bedroom. He gently placed me on the edge of the bed, holding me steady, making sure I could sit with my own strength, before withdrawing his arms. I shivered, suddenly cold, missing his warmth.

"I'll ask Emily to get you some dry clothes, okay? Wait here."

He disappeared and left me to glance around the room. The walls were painted light blue, matching the bedspread, and there was a wooden chest of drawers against the wall, next to a door which I assumed opened to a closet. A little table stood next to the bed I was sitting on, topped with a lamp. A window was open to my back, the white curtains half drawn.

I was interrupted from my inspection by a woman's soft voice at the door.

"Anna? Oh, I'm so glad you're all right! You must be so scared!"

I turned to see a small woman bustling towards me, carrying a set of black sweats. Embry stood in the doorway behind her, his eyes dark with concern and worry.

"Emily?" I remembered her. I recalled our encounter in the grocery store last week. "Is this your house?"

"Yes, dear. Here, let me help you out of those damp clothes. Embry, go to the kitchen and make Anna some hot tea, will you?"

After I changed, Emily took my clothes and made me lie down under the covers on the bed. She sat down next to me, facing me.

"I'm sure you have a thousand questions, but you should rest. You've been through a lot, I'm sure."

"Questions? Yeah, I'll say. _What_ is going on?!" I rubbed my hands to my temples. "Am I going crazy?"

Emily took my hand into one of hers and rubbed my shoulder with the other. "No, dear. You're not crazy. I assume you saw your brother phase?"

"Phase? What's that? I saw my brother explode! He turned into a wolf! I big wolf! And then he ran away into the forest! He left me!" I was starting to hyperventilate but I just couldn't calm myself down. I squeezed my eyes shut and tried to slow my breathing. _Think happy thoughts. Beaches, rainbow-colored stones, bouquets of sharpened pencils, the smell of a new notebook, Embry's broad shoulders--**stop** it!_

I opened my eyes to see Emily look over her shoulder at Embry, who had appeared during my outburst. He held a mug of steaming liquid in his large hands. He came closer and, when she stood and moved aside, he took her place on the bed next to me.

"Anna, honey," Emily started, "let me go call your mother and let her know you've been found. Embry will explain everything to you." And then she disappeared down the hall.

I turned my gaze to Embry and took a shuddering breath. "Well? Care to explain your ability to turn into a wolf and why my brother all of sudden can replicate the feat?"

Embry's brow wrinkled. "'Replicate the feat'?"

Yeah, I'll admit, I've read too many Jane Austen novels, and, when I get nervous, I start to use big words and speak like Mr. Darcy. I didn't tell **him** that, though.

I took another big breath, held it for a moment, and let it all out. "Can I have that tea?" I took it from his hands. "Okay, where to start? How about you begin by telling me how long this wolf business has been going on."

He nodded. "Sure. I've been phasing, uh, turning into a wolf, for a few months now, but Sam, our Alpha, has been a wolf for a couple years."

"And you don't need a full moon to do it?"

He smiled. "No."

"Okay. So you turn into a wolf just like Taha Aki?"

Embry was startled. "You know the legends?"

"Yeah, my dad taught me all about them, and Quileute culture is sort of my hobby."

"Your hobby?" He chuckled. "What are the odds? Huh. That's interesting."

"What?" I demanded.

"Nothing."

I knew it wasn't nothing, but I let it go. Switching to another topic, I asked, "Where's Brady? Is he okay?"

"Sam's out there with him right now. And he has Jake and Jared to help, too. He'll be fine. It may take a few days for him to calm down enough to phase back, though. That's normal."

"Oh," I replied. "He needs to calm down? Can I talk to him? Maybe I can help." I knew my brother better than anyone else, I knew I could help him phase back. He was probably freaking out right now. He hadn't learned the legends as well as I had, preferring instead to play computer games--he probably thought there was something wrong with him.

"No!" Embry shouted, startling me and causing me to jump a little before giving him a reproving glance.

"I mean," he started again, lowering his voice. "It isn't safe. Until he can control himself, he isn't safe for you to be around. Sam will take care of him, don't worry."

"Okaaaay. What about our parents? What do I tell them? Does they know? About Brady, I mean?"

"Yes, your dad knows. His great-grandfather was a Council elder and knew all about the Pack. Sam talked to your father several days ago after noticing the Brady was showing several symptoms. We didn't expect his transformation to happen so soon, though. There aren't any bloodsuckers around. Well, no more than usual--"

He broke off when he noticed my horrified expression. "More bloodsuckers than usual? You mean Cold Ones? Vampires? Here?" My panic started to resurface.

Embry took the mug of tea from my shaking hands and set it on the table by the bed. Then he scooted closer and put an arm around me, pulling me close, warming me. I immediately calmed. It felt so right, so natural, that I couldn't protest, even though my mind screamed at me, _Anna! You barely know this guy! And how can his very touch calm you so easily? This isn't a romance novel you're living in._

Once I was breathing normally again, Embry took a deep breath of his own and checked my face, probably to make sure I was still calm. "There's a coven in Forks that we have a treaty with. The treaty was made years and years ago. They don't drink from humans and we don't hunt them. None of us particularly trusts them, but they haven't broken the treaty yet, so our hands are tied. They stay on their land, and we patrol our territory."

I shivered even though Embry's hot arm was still around my shoulders.

"So there are vampires in Forks and no one knows?"

"Well, there is one person in Forks who knows." Embry looked uneasy. "There's this girl, Bella, that's dating one of the bloodsuckers."

I gasped. "What? dating a vampire! I thought you said they weren't dangerous! He'll eat her!"

"Well, they are dangerous but they haven't hurt her, at least not physically. We can't really do anything about it unless they bite her, and nothing like that has happened."

"What do you mean, 'at least not physically'?" My curiosity was morbid, but this seemed straight out of a Dracula-type story.

"Um, well . . . look, don't tell Jake I told you this, okay?"

I scoffed. "Right. Like Jacob Black, pure-blood Quileute and member of the elite Protector gang, revered by all the girls at school, would bother to talk to me." A thought struck me. "He's in the group of guys you hang out with, isn't he? Is he a wolf, too? You said he was out helping Brady, right?"

"Yeah, the whole group is actually the Pack. We're all wolves. Collin is the newest member."

I got it. That was why Collin had been missing from school this past week. He'd been busy turning into a giant wolf and learning to control himself. That was why he started sitting at the gang's table. I began to feel really bad about yelling at him at lunch.

I shook my head. I'd deal with the guilt later. Turning the conversation back to what we'd been talking about, I urged, "So, this Bella girl. She hasn't been bitten yet?"

"No. The leech she's dating, Edward Cullen is his name, hasn't physically hurt her. He broke her heart last fall, though. The whole coven up and left and were gone for a few months. We all thought they were gone for good, but then they came back, and he got back together with her. Jake doesn't like it because when the bloodsucker left, she fell apart--turned into a ghost of herself. Jake got really close to her and helped her heal. She used to come down here to La Push all the time and hang out with us. But then she ditched Jake for the bloodsucker when he came back this year. Jake's still trying to win her back, but I don't think it's gonna happen."

"Ugh, does she not realize how dangerous vampires are? From the legends I've read, I'd be scared stiff to go near one!"

Embry nodded, still looking uncomfortable. "Yeah, she knows. But she doesn't care. She's in love with him, she says."

I shivered, this time with fear. "Let's talk about something else. I don't want to think about Brady being out there in the forest with vampires so close. Um, what's it like being a werewolf?"

He relaxed and smiled his shy smile that I was beginning to like so much. _No, no, no, Anna! You can't like his smile! He's just a source of information, nothing more. He's filling in all the gaps, now that you know the legends are real. That's it._

"Well, it's pretty incredible. The speed, the strength, the super-senses, it's all pretty amazing. And my brothers, the rest of the Pack, we're all so close, it's like having a huge family. The stuff that's not so hot is the Pack mind. I don't know if you read about that or not. We can sorta read one another's minds when we're phased. It's great for when we're coordinating attacks and stuff, but not so great when we're just patrolling. Some of the stuff I've seen in Jared's mind--" He shuddered dramatically, causing me to laugh.

"Is that how you found us, out in the forest?"

"Yeah, when Brady phased, I saw through his mind exactly where you were."

"Wow, that's kinda cool." And it was. I mean, I wouldn't want anyone in _my _head, seeing what I was thinking, but the Pack mind was a fascinating thing. I wondered if I'd be allowed to ask more questions of the other wolf-men. Something like this was simply too interesting to let go. My passion, the legends, come to life in the people I went to school with! Who would have thought?

"I can hardly believe all this is real. It's like a dream or something. I mean, I love the legends and have always kinda wished they were true, but I never thought I'd find out they really were, and certainly not like this!"

_Nope, having my brother morph into a wolf right in front of me is certainly not something I'd ever daydreamed about._

He sighed. "I didn't want you to find out like this. I wish it had been under different circumstances."

"Wait a minute. You mean, you were going to tell me about what you are, even if Brady didn't phase?"

Embry looked embarrassed. "Well, yeah." His voice trailed off.

"Why?"

"Um. Can I tell you later? I-I'm not sure exactly how, exactly what I should say."

He looked so nervous and pitiful that I relented, filing this away to investigate another time. "Sure. Why does everyone--well, all the guys at school--think you are a gang?"

He chuckled. "Well, we are, kind of, though we use the word 'Pack'. Honestly, though, I think it's just some kind of rivalry thing. Most of the parents on the rez love us, and the girls are all ga-ga over us, too."

I felt something inside me twinge a bit when he mentioned the swooning girls. Was that . . . _jealousy_? What one earth was happening to me? I pushed the feeling away and smiled again.

"I was sure you were all drug dealers, you know. I figured you had a meth lab out in the forest."

Embry grimaced. "Yeah, when you accused us of that yesterday, I was pretty surprised. I guess you know the truth now, though, right?"

I laughed. "Yeah. You probably don't have much time to sell drugs if you're busy protecting the reservation from vampires." I shuddered then. _Vampires are real! No. Don't think about it, Anna._

He felt my shudder and hugged me closer to his body. "I'm overloading you with information. You're probably going to explode if I say anything else! You should sleep now." Embry smiled down at me. "Don't worry, Anna. I won't let anything get you. I'll protect you with my life." He looked at me seriously, that intense look making another appearance. It confused me—what did it mean? I couldn't do anything but nod.

How quickly my world had changed! Yesterday the biggest scandal in my life had been Collin changing lunch tables. Today I was fraternizing with wolves and learning about 'friendly vampires' who apparently lived close by in Forks. And Embry--I didn't know what to think about him. I couldn't like him. No. This wolf business was too overwhelming. My emotions were all muddled.

Exhaustion fell suddenly over me like a thick woolen blanket on a hot day. I ignored my inner mind admonishing me to pull away from Embry. I rested my head on his chest and heard a low hum come from deep within him.

I let his heartbeat lull me to sleep. As I drifted off, I thought I heard him whisper, "You'll always be safe with me, Anna."

* * *

**That is the longest chapter so far. It started out as two chapters, but I'm going to be gone for a week on vacation, so I figured you all would appreciate a little extra to tide you over till I get back. Think you can survive without me for a week? I promise to keep writing while I'm away, though, so I'll update as soon as I return.**

**Reviews are better than naked werewolves in the moonlight! Okay, that's a total lie. Review anyway.**


End file.
